Electronically-Controlled Water Flow Regulator System for Poultry Drinker Lines

ABSTRACT

An electrically-controlled water flow regulator for use with a poultry watering system receives potable water at a first, high flow rate and reduces the water flow rate of the water provided to watering valves that dispense water to the flock within a poultry house. A variable control valve uses a needle-shaped cone to engage a mating port inside the housing of the regulator. A motor controls the linear movement of the control valve in incremental steps to adjust the water flow rate provided to the flock. A feedback component enables the variable control valve to maintain the water flow rate at a desired set point for the flock. The desired set point for the flock is controlled or automated to match the growth of the flock over their growth cycle. An electrical controller and suitable cabling enable multiple regulators to be controlled efficiently and cost-effectively.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of and claims prioritybenefit under 35 U.S.C. §120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/498,885, filed Sep. 26, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,603,343, issuedMar. 28, 2017, entitled “Electronic Pressure Regulator System forPoultry Drinker Lines,” which claims priority benefit under 35 U.S.C.§119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/882,979, entitled“Electronic Pressure Regulator System for Poultry Drinker Lines,” filedSep. 26, 2013, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entirety as if set forth in full herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to poultry watering systems and,more particularly, to an improved, electronically-controlled water flowand pressure regulator, related controllers, processes, ancillarycomponents, and equipment used to monitor and regulate the flow of waterin a poultry drinker system and to strategically adjust the same in anautomated fashion during the growth stages of the flock.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Poultry watering systems include a series of connected water dispensinglines, a plurality of interconnected valves connected to one or more lowpressure water supply lines, fed by one or more potable water sources.The potable water supply is typically provided to a poultry house orbroiler house (“facility”) at a pressure much greater than the intendedor necessary operating pressure of the watering valves and at a muchgreater pressure and flow than is desired at each drinker nippleaccessible to the poultry. This demands that a water flow and pressureregulator be provided as part of the watering system to ensure that thewatering valves are supplied with water at a pressure and flow ratewithin the operating parameters of the valves and at a desired pressureand flow rate at the drinker nipples used by the flock to obtain water.Furthermore, it is often required that the operating pressure and flowrate for the watering valves be varied throughout the growth period ofthe poultry flock to allow for the greatest efficiency of use of waterby the flock. In other words, the flock needs increasingly more water asthe chicks continue to grow, but it is undesirable to provide too muchwater to the chicks at any point during their growth cycle because itnot only wastes water but can cause excess water to be released duringdrinking, which, in turn, causes excess water to spill to the floorwhich combines with spilled food and poultry droppings to create a messon the floor of the poultry house.

Conventionally, controlling the flow of water and water pressure to apoultry watering system is handled manually by an operator in thefacility. However, manual operation and adjustment of the water flow andpressure regulators used to control the water supply to the poultrydrinker lines is not efficient and can lead to over or under watering ofthe flock at any given time. Hydraulic air pressure control systems havebeen developed, but these systems tend to be expensive and difficult toinstall. For these and many other reasons, there is a need in theindustry to be able to vary the operating flow and pressure of the watersupply provided to the poultry watering valves remotely, efficiently,and inexpensively. It is also desirable to be able to retrofit existingwatering systems with minimal effort and at low cost.

It would be advantageous to be able to control the water flow andpressure supplied to poultry drinker systems automatically through useof an electrically-controlled variable position water control valve orby electrically-controlling diaphragm pressure within a regulator valvewithout the need for installing air pressure hydraulic lines orcomponents and to eliminate the need for a facility operator to have tomanually adjust the water flow and pressure at each regulator in thefacility. Preferably, it would be desirable for such water flow andpressure adjusting systems to be controlled either (i) with feedbackfrom an electrical water flow and pressure feedback device—in the formof a closed-loop system, or (ii) without a feedback device—in the formof an open-loop system. Preferably, either of these controlconfigurations would be commanded through the use of one or more manualuser interfaces and/or through an electronic interface designed to adaptto standard voltage or current analog control loops.

It would also be advantageous to have an electronic assembly that isdesigned to be interconnected with other assemblies within a specifiedrange, such as within a 500 meter range, to simplify the control andpower installation requirements. It would also be advantageous to havean electronic assembly that can provide a unified control of a pluralityof (up to 100 or more) devices. Preferably, it would also be desirableif installation of any necessary electrical wiring can be handled by anyconventional electrician using readily-available pre-wired cabling, aslong as such cabling is designed specifically to withstand the harshenvironment of a broiler house.

There is a further need for a controllable water flow and pressureregulator capable of measuring actual water flow or pressure against adesired water flow or pressure set point and making adjustments asneeded and on an on-going or regular basis. Preferably, both the actualwater flow or pressure and the desired set point would becontinuously-monitored. There is yet a further need for aproportional-integral-derivative (PID) control algorithm configured toadjust the controllable valve to meter the flow of water in the drinkerline/system. There is also a need for an embeddedmicroprocessor/controller to adjust the position of the control valveproportionally to maintain the actual water flow or pressure in the lineas closely as possible to the desired set point in response to changesto either the flow or pressure set point or actual flow or pressuremeasurements.

Although a “facility” has been described above and will generally beused interchangeably herein to refer to a poultry house or broilerhouse, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that anyfacility that waters animals being grown or raised, particularly forconsumption, and that requires water flow or pressure regulators tocontrol or limit the water supplied directly to the animals as comparedto the water flow or pressure coming into the facility can makeeffective use of the systems, techniques, technologies, devices, andprocesses described herein. Such facilities include, but are not limitedto, poultry breeder houses, turkey broiler or breeding houses, andpoultry pullet or egg laying houses.

The present invention meets one or more of the above-referenced needs asdescribed herein below in greater detail.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to poultry drinker systems and,more particularly, to systems, processes, and devices used for animproved, electronic water flow and pressure regulator, relatedcontrollers, and equipment used to control the water flow in a poultrywatering system.

In a first aspect of the invention, a water flow regulator for use witha poultry watering system is used to provide potable water to a flock ofpoultry over their growth cycle, the water flow regulator comprising:(i) a main housing that defines an interior chamber; (ii) an inputdisposed on the main housing and connected to a water supply line, thewater supply line providing potable water to the main housing at a firstpressure, the input including a metering valve disposed within theinterior chamber; (iii) an output disposed on the main housing andconnected to a dispensing line, the dispensing line having a pluralityof watering valves configured to supply the potable water to the flockof poultry at a desired flow rate, the desired flow rate optimized toprovide a predetermined amount of potable water to the flock through theplurality of watering valves; (iv) a variable control valve mounted ontothe housing and extending into the interior chamber of the housing, thevariable control valve positioned to control the flow of potable waterinto the interior chamber of the main housing and correspondinglythrough the output, the variable control valve having a needle-shapedcone adapted to engage a mating port within the interior chamber of themain housing and configured to move linearly and incrementally between afully-closed position and a fully-open position within the meteringvalve, the variable control valve having a motor that controls thelinear and incremental movement of the needle-shaped cone to vary flowrate of the potable water into the interior chamber of the main housing,the motor is in electronic communication with and controlled by acontroller board, the controller board being programmed with the desiredflow rate for potable water passing through the output to the dispensinglines; and (v) a feedback component connected to the main housing, thefeedback component configured to provide a feedback signal back to thecontroller board, the feedback signal corresponding to the actual flowrate of potable water in the dispensing line, wherein a comparatorcomponent of the controller board receives the feedback signal,determines the actual flow rate of potable water in the dispensing linebased on the received feedback signal, and actuates the motor to movethe needle-shaped cone linearly and incrementally in the directionnecessary to cause the actual flow rate of potable water in thedispensing line to move toward the desired flow rate programmed on thecontroller board.

In a feature, the controller board increases the desired flow rate forpotable water passing through the output to the dispensing lines overthe growth cycle of the flock of poultry. In another feature, the motorcontrols the linear and incremental movement of the needle-shaped coneby rotating a threaded rod connected thereto. In a further feature, thethreaded rod maintains its position and the position of theneedle-shaped cone within the metering valve until receiving a signalfrom the controller board to move. In yet a further feature, thecomparator component actuates the motor to move the needle-shaped conelinearly and incrementally at predetermined time intervals. In a furtherfeature, by varying the flow rate of the potable water into the interiorchamber of the main housing, the variable control valve adjusts thepotable water within the interior chamber of the main housing to asecond pressure and, correspondingly, adjusts the actual flow rate ofpotable water passing through the output to the dispensing lines. In oneembodiment, the feedback component includes a removable tube that isconnected to the main housing and receives potable water from theinterior chamber. Preferably, the feedback component includes a circuitboard mounted adjacent the tube, the tube maintaining a column of waterhaving a height, wherein the height of the water column corresponds tothe second pressure and wherein the height of the water column isdetected by detecting a magnet floating on top of the water column usinga plurality of Hall effect sensors mounted along a length of the circuitboard. Alternatively, the feedback component includes a circuit boardmounted adjacent the tube, the tube maintaining a column of water havinga height, wherein the height of the water column corresponds to thesecond pressure and wherein the height of the water column is detectedusing a series of capacitive sensors mounted along a length of thecircuit board. In another embodiment, the feedback component includes aremovable pressure transducer mounted to the housing that detects thesecond pressure and generates the feedback signal as a function of thesecond pressure.

In a second aspect of the invention, a water flow regulator for use witha poultry watering system used to provide potable water to a flock ofpoultry over their growth cycle, the water flow regulator comprises: (i)a main housing that defines an interior chamber; (ii) an input disposedon the main housing and connected to a water supply line, the watersupply line providing potable water to the main housing at an inputpressure, the input including a metering valve disposed within theinterior chamber; (iii) an output disposed on the main housing andconnected to a dispensing line, the dispensing line having a pluralityof watering valves configured to supply the potable water to the flockof poultry at a desired flow rate, the desired flow rate optimized toprovide a predetermined amount of potable water to the flock through theplurality of watering valves; (iv) a variable control valve mounted ontothe housing and extending into the interior chamber of the housing, thevariable control valve positioned to control the flow of potable waterinto the interior chamber of the main housing and through the output,the variable control valve being in electronic communication with andcontrolled by a controller board; and (v) a feedback component mountedonto the main housing, the feedback component configured to detect anactual output pressure of potable water within the interior chamber andto provide a feedback signal to the controller board, wherein thecontroller board is programmed with the desired flow rate, thecontroller board includes a comparator component that receives thefeedback signal, determines an actual flow rate of potable water in thedispensing line as a function of the received feedback signal, andactuates the variable control valve to move incrementally between afully-closed position and a fully-open position within the meteringvalve as necessary to cause the actual flow rate of potable water in thedispensing line to move toward the desired flow rate programmed on thecontroller board.

In a feature, the controller board increases the desired flow rate forpotable water passing through the output to the dispensing lines overthe growth cycle of the flock of poultry. In another feature, thevariable control valve includes a needle-shaped cone adapted to engage amating port within the interior chamber of the main housing and isconfigured to move linearly between the fully-closed position and thefully-open position within the metering valve, the variable controlvalve having a motor that controls the linear and incremental movementof the needle-shaped cone to vary flow rate of the potable water intothe interior chamber and the corresponding actual output pressure ofpotable water within the interior chamber. In yet a further feature, themotor controls the linear and incremental movement of the needle-shapedcone by rotating a threaded rod connected thereto. Preferably, thethreaded rod maintains its position and the position of theneedle-shaped cone within the metering valve until receiving a signalfrom the controller board to move. In another feature, the comparatorcomponent actuates the motor to move the needle-shaped cone linearly andincrementally at predetermined time intervals. In yet a further feature,the feedback component includes a removable pressure transducer mountedto the housing that detects the second pressure and generates thefeedback signal as a function of the second pressure. In anotherfeature, the feedback component includes a removable tube that isconnected to the main housing and receives potable water from theinterior chamber. In one embodiment, the feedback component includes acircuit board mounted adjacent the tube, the tube maintaining a columnof water having a height, wherein the height of the water columncorresponds to the actual output pressure and wherein the height of thewater column is detected by detecting a magnet floating on top of thewater column using a plurality of Hall effect sensors mounted along alength of the circuit board. In another embodiment, the feedbackcomponent includes a circuit board mounted adjacent the tube, the tubemaintaining a column of water having a height, wherein the height of thewater column corresponds to the actual output pressure and wherein theheight of the water column is detected using a series of capacitivesensors mounted along a length of the circuit board.

The aspects of the invention also encompasses a computer-readable mediumhaving computer-executable instructions for performing methods of thepresent invention, and computer networks and other systems thatimplement the methods of the present invention. The above features aswell as additional features and aspects of the present invention aredisclosed herein and will become apparent from the following descriptionof preferred embodiments of the present invention.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of aspects andconcepts in a simplified form that are further described below in thedetailed description. This summary is not intended to identify keyfeatures or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is itintended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description ofillustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunctionwith the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating theembodiments, there is shown in the drawings example constructions of theembodiments; however, the embodiments are not limited to the specificmethods and instrumentalities disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description ofillustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunctionwith the appended drawings.

For the purpose of illustrating the embodiments, there is shown in thedrawings example constructions of the embodiments; however, theembodiments are not limited to the specific methods andinstrumentalities disclosed. In addition, further features and benefitsof the present technology will be apparent from a detailed descriptionof preferred embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the followingdrawings, wherein similar elements are referred to with similarreference numbers, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional watering system for a broiler houseprior to installation of the improvements described herein;

FIG. 2 presents an exemplary graphical representation of the desiredwater pressure provided to a flock through its growth cycle;

FIG. 3 illustrates a watering system for a broiler house afterinstallation of the improvements described herein;

FIG. 4 illustrates a zoomed in view of a portion of the broiler houseshown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates a further zoomed in view of one of a plurality ofelectrically-controlled water pressure regulars as installed in thebroiler house of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic of a feedback loop used to adjust thewater pressure provided by one of the electrically-controlled waterpressure regulators of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate both a fully-assembled and an exploded viewof one of the electrically-controlled water pressure regulators of FIG.5, which has been retrofit onto a conventional, manually-operated waterpressure regulator;

FIG. 8 illustrates a preferred wiring diagram for connecting andcontrolling components of the broiler house of FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 illustrates both a fully-assembled and an exploded view of avariable position control valve, which is one of the components of theelectrically-controlled water pressure regulator of FIGS. 7A and 7B;

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate both fully-assembled and exploded views oftwo sections of a diaphragm pressure control valve, which is one of thecomponents of the electrically-controlled water pressure regulator ofFIGS. 7A and 7B; and

FIG. 12 illustrates both a fully-assembled and an exploded view of asight tube assembly, which is one of the components of theelectrically-controlled water pressure regulator of FIGS. 7A and 7B andis used to provide feedback of the actual water pressure output by thewater pressure regulator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present technologies, systems, devices, apparatuses, andmethods are disclosed and described in greater detail hereinafter, it isto be understood that the present technologies, systems, devices,apparatuses, and methods are not limited to particular arrangements,specific components, or particular implementations. It is also to beunderstood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescribing particular aspects and embodiments only and is not intendedto be limiting.

As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms“a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearlydictates otherwise. Similarly, “optional” or “optionally” means that thesubsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, andthe description includes instances where the event or circumstanceoccurs and instances where it does not.

Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the word“comprise” and variations of the word, such as “comprising” and“comprises,” mean “including but not limited to,” and is not intended toexclude, for example, other components, integers or steps. “Exemplary”means “an example of” and is not intended to convey an indication ofpreferred or ideal embodiment. “Such as” is not used in a restrictivesense, but for explanatory purposes.

Disclosed are components that can be used to perform the disclosedmethods and systems. These and other components are disclosed herein,and it is understood that when combinations, subsets, interactions,groups, etc. of these components are disclosed that while specificreference to each various individual and collective combinations andpermutations of these can not the explicitly disclosed, each isspecifically contemplated and described herein, for all methods andsystems. This applies to all aspects of this specification including,but not limited to, steps in disclosed methods. Thus, if there are avariety of additional steps that can be performed it is understood thateach of the additional steps can be performed with any specificembodiment or combination of embodiments of the disclosed methods.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the methods andsystems may take the form of an entirely new hardware embodiment, anentirely new software embodiment, or an embodiment combining newsoftware and hardware aspects. Furthermore, the methods and systems maytake the form of a computer program product on a computer-readablestorage medium having computer-readable program instructions (e.g.,computer software) embodied in the storage medium. More particularly,the present methods and systems may take the form of web-implementedcomputer software. Any suitable computer-readable storage medium may beutilized including hard disks, non-volatile flash memory, CD-ROMs,optical storage devices, and/or magnetic storage devices.

Embodiments of the methods and systems are described below withreference to block diagrams and flowchart illustrations of methods,systems, apparatuses and computer program products. It will beunderstood that each block of the block diagrams and flow illustrations,respectively, can be implemented by computer program instructions. Thesecomputer program instructions may be loaded onto a general purposecomputer, special purpose computer, or other programmable dataprocessing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructionswhich execute on the computer or other programmable data processingapparatus create a means for implementing the functions specified in theflowchart block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in acomputer-readable memory that can direct a computer or otherprogrammable data processing apparatus to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readablememory produce an article of manufacture including computer-readableinstructions for implementing the function specified in the flowchartblock or blocks. The computer program instructions may also be loadedonto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to causea series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or otherprogrammable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process suchthat the instructions that execute on the computer or other programmableapparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in theflowchart block or blocks.

Accordingly, blocks of the block diagrams and flowchart illustrationssupport combinations of means for performing the specified functions,combinations of steps for performing the specified functions, andprogram instruction means for performing the specified functions. Itwill also be understood that each block of the block diagrams andflowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the blockdiagrams and flowchart illustrations, can be implemented by specialpurpose hardware-based computer systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or steps, or combinations of special purpose hardware andcomputer instructions.

Poultry Watering System

Turning now to FIG. 1, a conventional poultry watering system 100typically includes a series of connected water dispensing lines 110 anda plurality of interconnected valves 125 connected to one or more lowpressure water supply lines 115, which are fed by one or more potablewater sources 120. The source of the potable water supply is typicallyprovided to a poultry house 150 at a pressure much greater than thenecessary or desired operating pressure of the watering valves 125. Thisrequires use of a water pressure regulator 130, as part of the wateringsystem 100, to ensure that the watering valves 125 are supplied withwater at a pressure within the operating parameters of the valves.

Furthermore, it is often necessary and desirable for the operatingpressure and flow rate provided to the watering valves be graduallyincreased during the growth period of the poultry flock to allow for thegreatest efficiency of the use of the water by the flock (i.e., theflock needs more water as the chicks continue to grow but it isundesirable to provide too much water to the chicks at any point duringthe growing cycle because it wastes water and can create a mess on thefloor of the poultry house).

FIG. 2 presents an exemplary graphical representation 200 of the waterpressure, which is measured in inches of water column vs. the age of thebirds in the flock. These requirements (specific water pressure vs. ageof the flock) will actually vary by facility, installation, and thespecific goals and needs of the operator of the facility and will not bediscussed in detail herein, other than to acknowledge the generalnecessity for poultry houses to manage water flow and pressure(typically, by gradually increasing the same) throughout the growthperiod of the flock. It will be appreciated by those of skill in the artthat adjusting the water pressure and flow during the life cycle of aflock is necessary whether one operates a conventional watering system100, as shown in FIG. 1, or whether one operates an improved wateringsystem that is initially built having (or retrofit with)electrically-controlled water pressure/flow regulators and correspondingcontrol system(s), according to the teachings described in greaterdetail herein.

Turning now to FIG. 3, an improved poultry watering system 300 isillustrated, which is essentially the conventional poultry wateringsystem 100 as shown in FIG. 1, but after having been retrofit withelectrically-controlled water pressure/flow regulators 330 and anassociated control system 375. Like the poultry watering system 100 ofFIG. 1, the improved poultry watering system 300 include a series ofconnected water dispensing lines 110 and a plurality of interconnectedvalves 125 connected to one or more low pressure water supply lines 115,which are fed by one or more potable water sources 120 at a first flowrate. Preferably, the control system 375 is in electronic communicationwith the electrically-controlled water pressure/flow regulators 330. Inaddition, power is preferably supplied to each of theelectrically-controlled water pressure/flow regulators 330. As shown inFIG. 3, control wiring and power supply lines, shown running throughconduit or cabling 380, run from a control room 390 of the poultry house150 to each of the electrically-controlled water pressure/flowregulators 330. The conduit or cabling 380 protects the control wiringand power supply lines from exposure to water, dust, and othercontaminants and allows the wiring to be used in the harsh environmentof a typical poultry house. For convenience, such conduit or cabling 380can be run, and connected in conventional manner with any of a varietyof connectors, along the top of the low pressure water supply lines 115to keep the control wiring and power supply lines off the floor of thepoultry house 150 and otherwise out of the way of the flock, operators,and contaminants. Alternatively, such conduit 380 can be hung or strungfrom the ceiling of the poultry house 150, but this is less efficientand requires much more wiring than using the existing support structureprovided by the low pressure water supply lines 115.

FIG. 4 is merely a zoomed in view 400 of the control room 390 area ofFIG. 3. FIG. 4 also provides a zoomed in view of theelectrically-controlled water pressure/flow regulators 330 and theassociated control system 375.

FIG. 5 is a zoomed in view 500 of one of the electrically-controlledwater pressure/flow regulators 330 mounted as part of the improvedpoultry watering system 300 from FIG. 3. In this zoomed in view, it iseasier to see the water dispensing lines 110 and interconnected valves125. It is also easier to see the support rod 112 upon which the waterdispensing line 110 is preferable hung or attached. Further details andan exploded view of the specific components of theelectrically-controlled water pressure/flow regulator 330 will bedescribed in greater detail hereinafter.

As stated previously, since it is often necessary to vary the pressureand water flow of the water supplied to the watering valves 125, it isdesirable to be able to adjust or control such pressure and water flowremotely and/or automatically. Methods of doing so, through the use ofan electrically controlled variable position valve or by electricallycontrolling diaphragm pressure, will be described and disclosed ingreater detail hereinafter. Preferably, these pressure and water flowadjusting systems can be controlled in two different ways: with feedbackfrom an electrical water pressure/flow feedback device (a closed-loopsystem) or without a feedback device (an open-loop system). Either ofthese configurations can be commanded or controlled by a system userthrough the use of one or more manual user interfaces and/or through anelectronic interface designed to adapt to standard voltage or currentanalog control loops. The electronic assembly is designed to beinterconnected with other assemblies, preferably within a 500 meterrange, to simplify the control and power systems installation and tooffer a unified control of up to, for example, 100 separate regulators330. Preferably, it is also desirable that installation of any necessaryelectrical wiring be capable of being done by any conventionalelectrician using readily-available prewired conduit or cabling 380 thatis designed specifically for the harsh environment of a poultry house orpoultry raising facility.

The remotely-controlled electrical water pressure/flow regulator 330provides a convenient means of adjusting water pressure and flow ratewithin each drinker line 110. Adjusting the pressure and flow rate canbe accomplished manually, through use of a simple manual user interface,in conventional manner or automatically, through use of an analogcontrol loop signal from an existing house automation controller to ahouse automation interface panel in the control room 390. The pressuresettings of multiple regulators on a single network can be changedsimultaneously, or in virtual groups, to provide a quick and convenientway of changing the water pressure and/or flow rate within one or moredrinker lines within a poultry house. Additional functionality of thesystem enables the water pressure/flow of a single regulator or group ofregulators to be controlled, based on a desired or predeterminedschedule, which can be set by the user or operator of the poultry house.If an automated scheduler is used, the controller automatically adjuststhe water pressure/flow of regulators based on a time table or time linethat is set by the scheduler. Likewise, the house automation controllercan be wired to one of the analog control loop inputs of the houseautomation interface panel to automate the control of the waterpressure/flow rate of the watering valve drinker lines. Additionally, ifusing the closed-loop system, the pressure feedback device of theassembly can report actual water line pressure back to the manual userinterface and/or to the house automation interface panel to provide ameans of monitoring actual water pressure levels in the watering valvedrinker lines so that adjustments can be made, if necessary, to modifythe pressure and corresponding flow rate to the desired set point.

It is also possible manually to override the position of the variablecontrol valve of individual assemblies to force a full port open flushof the watering valve drinker line. This flushing mode can be initiatedat the simple user interface and/or at the house automation controllerinterface. Preferably, all of these features and functions can beperformed without entering the poultry house or otherwise disturbing theflock.

The ease of use, retrofit assembly and installation, adaptability to anautomation controller, scheduled water pressure/flow adjustment,simultaneous adjustment of multiple regulators, individual drinker lineflush capability, real time monitoring of actual water pressure and/orflow rate, and ability to initiate these control features withoutentering the poultry house and disturbing the flock, are just some ofthe many benefits of this system.

Electronic Regulator for Use with Poultry Watering System

Preferably, each electrically-controlled or electronically-controlledwater pressure/flow regulator 330, as disclosed and described herein,measures actual water pressure/flow rate in the drinker line against adesired control pressure/flow rate set point and makes adjustments tothe incoming flow to correct the difference, as needed. FIG. 6illustrates a simple feedback loop 600 for adjusting and controlling theactual water pressure/flow against a desired water pressure set point.Specifically, incoming water supply comes in on low pressure watersupply line 115 to a metering valve 610 that is part of the regulator330. The output from the metering valve 610 is the drinker line watersupply that is provided to the drinker line 110. A pressure feedbackdevice 620 detects the actual pressure of the drinker line water supplyand outputs an electronic signal 630 corresponding to such actualpressure. The desired water pressure set point 640, along with theelectronic signal 630 corresponding to the actual pressure, is providedto a comparator circuit 650 that determines the difference 660 betweenthe actual pressure 630 and the desired pressure 640 and provides suchdifference 660 as an error value back to the metering valve 610. Thepressure values correlate to actual and desired water flow rate; thus,the desired flow rate can be achieved by monitoring and controlling theactual pressure relative to the desired pressure. Preferably, both theactual water pressure and the desired set point are continuouslymonitored. Preferably, a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controlalgorithm adjusts the controllable pressure regulator valve to meter theflow of water in each drinker line. If changes to either the pressureset point or the actual pressure measurements are detected, an embeddedmicroprocessor adjusts the position of the control valve proportionallyto maintain the actual pressure and corresponding flow rate in thedrinker line as closely to the set point as possible.

The variable control valve with pressure/flow rate feedback assembly hasbeen designed so that it is possible to retrofit current “manual”versions of the water pressure/flow regulators without permanentlymodifying the housing of such regulators and while still enabling suchregulators to be adjusted or over-ridden manually, if desired. Theentire assembly is designed to be installed with a minimal use of toolsand without the requirement of any specific knowledge about theoperation of the regulator—as either a manual control regulator or as anelectrically-controlled regulator. Being a simple retrofit assembly, thedesign allows for additional cost savings for poultry house operatorsand/or owners since such regulators can be installed in the fieldwithout need of any special tools or equipment. Through use ofsimple-to-follow guidelines, the entire variable control valve withpressure feedback assembly can typically be retrofit onto an existing,manually-controlled regulator in a matter of minutes.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate a retrofit assembly for a regulator 330 ofFIG. 3. The regulator 330 is shown in assembled view 700 in FIG. 7A andin an exploded view 702 in FIG. 7B. The core components of aconventional, manually-controlled water pressure regulator assembly 710are shown. The housing 774 of the regulator assembly 710 defines aninterior chamber therein. Further, the housing 774 includes an input772, which connects with the water control supply line 115 described inFIGS. 3-5. The metering valve 610 described in FIG. 6 is containedwithin the interior chamber of the housing 774 and controls the flow andpressure of the water from the water control supply line 115 into theinterior chamber, in response to the electrically-controlled valve 730,as described in greater detail hereinafter. The electrically-controlledvalve 730 mounts into the flush valve assembly port 732 of the regulatorassembly 710. A sight tube assembly 750 connects to the regulatorassembly 710 and detects the actual water pressure being supplied to thedrinker line. A pressure feedback device 752 built into the sight tubeassembly 750 is connected to a feedback input 740 on theelectrically-controlled valve 730 using an electronic regulatorconnector or cordset 760, which provides the actual pressure of thedrinker line to a built-in comparator circuit in theelectrically-controlled valve 730. The housing 774 includes an output776 to which the dispensing line 110 described in FIGS. 3-5 isconnected.

This “ease of installation” concept is further carried over into theelectrical installation as well. Each variable control valve withpressure feedback assembly is provided with electrical“quick-disconnect” receptacles to aid in the ease and simplicity ofwiring the devices. All of the necessary power and communications arepreferably carried over a single cable and distributed with use ofreadily-available supplied, or alternatively, third party availablepre-manufactured cabling systems. Each pre-manufactured cable assemblyis mated to a corresponding connector at each variable control valvewith pressure feedback assembly, so wiring mistakes are made nearlyimpossible with a minimum of instructions. The variable control valvewith pressure feedback assembly and the pre-manufactured cabling isdesigned specifically for damp, harsh environments. All electricalconnections preferably form an air-tight seal that is capable ofwithstanding accidental submersion in water and other fluids to ensure areliable and long-lasting installation.

The simple manual user interface and the optional house automationinterface panels are interconnected to the variable control valve withpressure feedback assemblies through this same network ofpre-manufactured cabling. Low voltage power is introduced to the systemthrough the simple manual user interface, which requires a connection toa common NEMA 5-15 (or compatible) electrical receptacle. For networkswith large numbers of assemblies and/or long network cabling lengths,optional power injectors are available to extend the low voltageelectrical supply to these numerous and/or distant assemblies.

The simple manual user interface and the house automation interfacepanel are designed for installation in an environmentally-isolatedmechanical shed outside of the poultry house or, optionally, availablewith a sealed control enclosure suitable for mounting in the poultryhouse environment. FIG. 8 illustrates a wiring diagram 800 for apreferred and typical system installation, as described above.

Embedded Controller System

It was determined that the system preferably needed a microprocessorthat (i) was capable of precision position control of a valve mechanism,(ii) could receive and process pressure measurements obtained from anexternal sensor, (iii) could accept user input for set point control,and (iv) could maintain control of pressure and flow rate based on userset point and actual system pressure using a control algorithm. Themicroprocessor was designed concurrently with the development of thecontrol valve and the feedback device and was used to test prototypedesigns as they were developed. This required that either a powerful andcapable processor, having a large variety of I/O capabilities, memory,and integrated features, or a processor that offered a simple upgradepath, when the demands exceeded the capacity of the processor, beselected at the beginning of the development process. For these reasons,one of the many available ARM core-based microprocessors was chosen. TheARM core of processors is a widely popular architecture for bothhobbyists and professionals, so the tools and the support were abundant.The offerings vary from small and compact with low memory, to powerfulprocessors that power many of today's sophisticated electronics, such ascell phones and home appliances. The design was initially based onselection of a powerful microprocessor, but having a “family” of fasterand more capable processors available, if necessary, to ensure anupgrade path with as little software conversion as possible. Initially,it was determined that most of the inputs (signals/data) to theprocessor (e.g., actual pressure; pressure set point; actuator position;level feedback display, etc.) would be of an analog nature; therefore, aprocessor with an emphasis on high resolution and large quantity ofanalog inputs was chosen. An ARM core processor of NXP branding thatprovided numerous analog inputs and a number of discrete I/O with areasonable amount of memory and a capable processing speed was finallychosen for this purpose.

Throughout the trials with the valve and the feedback sensor, it becamenecessary mid-stream during the design phase to change to a processorwith fewer analog inputs but with a greater memory capacity. Stayingwithin the same processor family allowed the software and programmingthat had already been created to migrate easily to the new processor.For initial design and testing, the inventors were able to rely upon“off the shelf” processor development circuit boards. After design ofthe feedback device and the valve actuator was finalized, it was againdetermined that the processor needed to be upgraded to one that wasfaster, one that had more memory, and one having with an integrated CANbus that enabled a control scheme using digital communications. Thistransition to an improved processor presented additional designchallenges, since several of the peripheral functions were nowintegrated into the chip. The PWM and the 4 Wire SPI all behavedslightly differently than in previous designs. Along with the changeover in processors, several new algorithms were also developed to finetune the previous test routines that had been written to prove theinitial design concepts. It also proved necessary at this time to createa custom processor board.

A development board with an integrated CAN bus was used for initialproof of concept, but the family stepping on the chip of the prototypedevelopment board was an older stepping. NXP had released newer versionsof the chip to correct several severe flaws with the older stepping, soefforts were focused on designing a new, custom-designed control boardusing the newer version of the NXP processor. Algorithms specificallywritten for the newer chip, in particular with the analog inputfunctions, the CAN bus peripherals, and the 4 Wire SPI interface,functioned on the new hardware based on the improved steppingfunctionality of the newer NXP processor.

Determining an input voltage range was another consideration. Because ofthe commonality of 24VDC in Europe, it was felt that European end-userswould prefer 24VDC while end-users in North America would prefer 12VDC.A supply of 12VDC matched with the inventors' concept for a batterybackup system (e.g., using a small lead-acid “alarm” backup battery or asimple deep-cycle battery with a common battery charger) that wouldallow the regulators to remain powered through brown-outs and shortblack-outs. With these considerations in mind, the control board wasdesigned to operate on an input voltage range of approximately 8VDC to25VDC. Since the incoming voltage is preferably routed directly to thedriver board, the stepper motor was selected to operate specifically onthe supply voltage; however, it was decided that all other peripheralsand components of the system would receive their necessary voltage byconverting the incoming voltage typically provided in the country inwhich the system would be installed and used. Thus, the board wasdesigned to be ready for both North American and European installations.

Other features designed into the board for “future” growth include (a)an 2C peripheral interface for future expansion and use of additionaldata that can be obtained from the water line (e.g., real-time waterflow rate measurements, water flow totalization, water temp, etc.), (b)a second CAN bus interface for communications on a secondary network(e.g., with the regulator acting as a master device and having slavedperipherals), and (c) a 4 Wire SPI output, which is the outgoingcommunications port for the feedback device. This 4 Wire SPI output isdesigned to be used independently of the feedback device, so itsserial-to-parallel output capability is designed to be used to drive alarge number of digital outputs through specifically designed hardware,as desired. There is also a serial port, which has been used fordiagnostics data reporting, and a J-TAG interface for programming andmonitoring of the chip through its integrated programming port. All ofthese peripherals, voltage converters, and interface chips arepreferably designed onto a single, two-layer circuit board with allcomponents populated on the top side using surface mount devices tocreate the most cost effective design.

Variable Position Control Valve

The electrically-controlled valve 730, as shown in FIG. 7B, is animportant component of the overall system design and proved to be asignificant design challenge. To guarantee a controllable flow, it wasnecessary to develop a valve assembly that would allow a very smallmechanical motion to control a relatively large port, which would thenallow for the flow rates that were required, but with the responsivenessneeded to create an acceptable regulator. Slow responses would result inlarge spikes and deep sags as the demand for water fluctuated. Themechanical motion had to be both small so that the valve could respondquickly, but also needed a mechanical force advantage so the valve couldbe powered with as small an actuator as possible. Since these twocriteria interact to oppose one another, a compromise in responsivenessand actuator force had to be determined. Early designs tested, forexample, common ball valves, common gate valves, pinch valves—eachresulted in a significant seal friction, which made them impractical tocontrol with the low energy and quick reaction speed required for thissystem. These designs were eliminated from the choices early in theprototyping stage.

Linear motion valve control seemed the best choice to overcome sealfriction, so several prototype design ideas were reviewed, includingsliding plates, sliding gate, sliding ported cylinders, and simplelinear strokes to actuate pivoting type valves. At the top of the listwas a linear needle valve with a tapered seat. The concept wasprototyped and proved to offer very linear control of the water flow,and it offered low friction in the seats and seals, but the designresulted in a need for a large force to overcome the incoming linepressure of the water supply. The prototype design used a relativelylarge rod for the needle, so it was finally determined that to overcomethe forces due to incoming line pressure, the rod had to be reduced to asize smaller in diameter than that of the outlet port. This changepermitted the pressure chamber to become theoretically pressure“neutral” once flow started. This rod is also designed with aself-aligning coupling to further decrease the strain on the steppermotor and, in one embodiment, uses a multi-seal design for redundancy incase of a seal failure.

The current variable control valve 730 shown in FIG. 7B and described ingreater detail herein was born from this prototype. FIG. 9 illustratesthe variable control valve 730 in assembled view 900 and in an explodedview 902. The “needle” shape of the actuating part 910 of the valve isaccomplished using a simple cone shaped nut. This nut retains a rubberseat or seal 912 to guarantee a positive off when the valve is in afully-closed position. The tapered seat of the prototype valve wasreplaced with a simple mating port. This port has a small shoulder thatsurrounds the port to magnify the forces at the edge of the hole,further ensuring a tight seal when the valve is closed. It is throughthe combination of the “needle” shaped cone and the matching port sizethat the variable flow of water through the opening is preferablyaccomplished. The geometry of the mating seats have been carefullyengineered to offer a linear range from extremely low flows, up to fullport open. Preferably, the main port seal is field-replaceable withoutexposing the internals of the assembly to the harsh environment of thefacility.

The retrofit capability also lends itself to a simple mechanical bypassin case of a regulator failure. The assembly can be removed from theregulator and replaced with the original (assuming this is a retrofit ofa conventional, manual regulator) mechanical flush knob, which allowsthe regulator to operate in manual mode, if necessary. Also, theregulator preferably maintains its manual adjustment knob, which allows,if desired, a minimum water column height to be set and used as amechanical fail-safe so that even in the event of a failure, a minimumwater pressure and minimum water flow can always be maintained withoutfear that a power outage or regulator failure might result in causingthe flock to die from dehydration.

Electrically the design concept was also challenging. With a lowmechanical advantage, the electrical component used to actuate the valveneeded to be powerful enough to overcome all of these forces and stillbe responsive to changes in detected, actual pressure. The firstprototype was a high speed DC gear motor with positional feedback on theoutput controlled in PID closed loop, acting as a servo. The inherentproblem with this design was finding enough processor resources to PIDcontrol the position of the output and still provide the resources formonitoring water pressure feedback and operating the PID for the controlof the pressure. Alternatives were evaluated that would utilizededicated hardware to control the motor position to off-load theresources from the processor, but the extra hardware costs seemedunfeasible. What finally resulted was a simple, pre-packaged linearstepper. A stepper motor offers independent control of torque and speed,all in an open loop control routine. This frees up the processor, whichis installed on a valve circuit board 920, to use its resources to closeloop control the pressure, while using an open loop linear actuator tomake the necessary adjustments. To ensure that the motor has as muchtorque and speed as possible, it is driven in a Sine-Cosine step modewith each physical step further reduced electrically into 16 incrementalsteps. This change gives an increase in stepping performance as well asan increase in positional resolution. To control the stepping functions,the processor incorporates PWM controls in hardware mode. The16-position Sine-Cosine step algorithm, along with the ability tospecify the power level at the motor (from 1% to 100%) requiredconsiderable thought in the design of the control. With the PWM featuresintegrated into the processor, the overhead for that portion of thecontrol algorithm is low. However, it is preferable that the processorclosely monitor the pressure feedback and make appropriate changes tothe position of the valve to adjust the pressure and corresponding flowrate to the drinker line.

With all the tasks that the processor manages, controlling the positionof the valve in response to the pressure feedback is the most timingcritical. Not only in the sense that it has to be done frequently, butalso in the sense that it has to be done rhythmically. It is notacceptable to perform several closely-timed evaluations followed byquick adjustments, and then ignore the task for an extended period oftime before coming back to the task and executing it again. This taskwould require a time-controlled event, which was accomplished through abackground task manager spawned by a timed interrupt. In this way, theposition of the actuator could be managed asynchronously with theexecution of the other tasks in the program, but in a consistently timedfashion. Furthermore, this ensured that the control of these tasksreceived priority over all others. The other difficult part in thedesign was how to make adjustments to the output of the motor based on adesired output power level. Since the step design is based on aSine-Cosine driver, a Sine table was embedded in the processor. TheCosine output was accomplished by shifting the position in the Sinetable by a quarter phase to offset the lookup. Depending upon whichdirection of movement is needed, one H Bridge driver will typically beahead of the other H Bridge driver by a quarter phase. Shiftingdirections means the lookup table is referenced moving in the oppositedirection. The Sine table is no more than a percentage lookup table. Forevery lookup position in the table, a second power output table wouldhave the appropriate PWM control register value to accomplish the outputdesired. At step zero, the Sine output is 0%, so the power lookup tablecontains a register value in position zero to represent no voltageoutput to the PWM controller. At step 16, the Sine output is 100%, sothe power lookup table contains a register value in lookup position 16that represents full output voltage to the PWM controller. If the motorpower level was something other than 100%, then this power lookup tableis recalculated based on the new motor power level. To avoid the risk ofa background task, which might occur during the recalculation of thepower lookup table, the actual process of recalculating the table wasmoved to the background task controller as well. Only a change in powerwould call the routine to update the table, otherwise the stepper motorwould use the power lookup table as it was previously calculated. Doingthis ensures that the table is fully updated before a new microstep istaken, otherwise one H Bridge may operate at the original power levelwhile the other H Bridge operates at the new power level. Even thoughthis would conceivably only occur for as long as it took the processorto finish the timed interrupt event and then complete the calculationsof the table, it was still enough of a concern to make that process partof the background task handler.

The final touch to the control algorithm is an idle mode timer thatshuts off the motor driver components if no request for position changeis made after a predetermined period of time. This not only helps tocontrol heat build-up in the motor windings and on the control board,but it reduces the overall energy consumption of the system as the motoris easily the single largest electrical load in the system. In apreferred embodiment, if the motor position is stagnant for 100 mS, thenall power is removed from the motor windings. Being a rotational steppermotor with an integrated threaded rod to generate the linear motion,external forces cannot alter the position of the motor. In addition, thecontrol board maintains the current position in memory as well as theoutput power level of each H Bridge driver and immediately uponnotification of a step change, the power is restored to the motorwindings. This “sleep” mode coupled with a variable torque controltechnique helps ensure that the lowest level of energy consumptionpossible while still providing adequate control of the stepper motor.

The motor and control board, along with the “needle” valve assembly,combine to form the variable position control valve. This variableposition control valve is retrofitted to the mechanical regulator in theregulator's flush valve assembly port 732, as shown in FIG. 7B. Theflush valve assembly port is a large threaded port with a substantialshouldered water inlet at the back of the port to provide the incomingwater for the mechanical regulator when it is in its uncontrolled“flush” mode. The size of the water inlet was originally designed andintended to allow for a high volume of water flow to support a drinkerline flush. Its design has been fully utilized by the control valveconcept to accomplish the electronic regulation of water flow. Thesubstantial size of the water inlet provides an ideal inlet for thecontrol valve with its “needle” valve shape. The threaded flush portprovides an ideal means of attachment of the variable position controlvalve assembly by allowing the flush knob to be unthreaded, and thecontrol valve threaded back into its place. This design feature offersthe ability to both control pressure and water flow rate in the wateringvalve drinker line, as well as to enable unregulated flow when desiredto flush the drinker line. The entire retrofit of the variable controlvalve assembly can typically be accomplished without tools.

Other components of the variable control valve 730 are shown in theexploded view 902 of FIG. 9. Such components include for example, valvehousing assembly 930 and valve cover 940. The stepper motor 950 is inelectronic communication with the circuit board 920 and is mounted inclose proximity thereto. The electrical input 922 and output 924, shownin schematic 800 from FIG. 8, are connected to the circuit board 920.Feedback input 926 corresponds with the feedback input 740 shown in FIG.7B. The electrical input 922, output 924, and feedback input 926 mounton the circuit board and extend through apertures 942, 944, and 946,respectfully, of the valve cover 940. Other screws, nuts, O-rings, andgaskets used to assemble the variable control valve are also illustratedin FIG. 9.

Diaphragm Pressure Control Mechanism

Another method that was explored and that proved to be successful wasthe diaphragm pressure control mechanism. This assembly requires theremoval of the lower portion of a conventional pressure regulator forretrofit installation. An electric motor driven screw is used to changethe output water pressure and flow rate out of the regulator bycompressing or decompressing a spring in the lower half of the regulatorassembly; thus, adjusting pressure on the diaphragm and within theregulator housing. The assembly preferably tracks the position of themotor using a magnetic flag and a Hall effect sensor. FIGS. 10 and 11illustrate assembled and exploded views of components of the diaphragmpressure control assembly 1000 and 1100.

Pressure Feedback System

The pressure feedback device was difficult mainly due to the desiredrequirement that it be consistent from device to device, andmaintenance-free (or as low maintenance as possible) for the end-user.Preferably, the design should not require calibration or zero offsetcompensation, and it should not vary based on temperature, device age,or any of the other considerable factors common to analog pressuredevices. Furthermore, the pressure range to be monitored, 0 to 24 inchesof water column, and the pressure range that the sensor would have tosustain without being damaged during flush, 8 feet of water column ormore, made it nearly impossible to find an analog pressure sensor thatcould meet these requirements and provide the stability and lowmaintenance required. Many sensors are available for measuring pressure,but none that meet most of these desired requirements—while still beingaffordable and cost effective. This meant an alternative to an analogpressure sensor had to be found.

The first alternative was a water column gauge. In this category,ultrasonic ranging, microwave, optical displacement, and ultrasonicprobes were evaluated, but their cost and bulk made most of themimpractical. The first prototype was based on an ultrasonic rangingsensor designed for automotive applications and specifically calibratedto measure water column in a tube. It provided an acceptable measure oferror, but was affected by age and environmental temperature.Furthermore, it was slow to respond to rapid changes in level, whichmade it even less attractive as a measurement device. It was finallydecided that it was necessary to build a custom sensor.

The concept was formed by the idea that an array of detectors, arrangedin a linear fashion, could be used to locate the water edge, and reportthe pressure in inches of water column. Two types of sensors seemedlikely, an optical and a magnetic field sensor. The optical solution wasquickly eliminated due to the probability that the water in the “sighttube” of the regulator could stagnate and darken, affecting the abilityof the optics to detect the level. For this reason, the magnetic pickupsolution was chosen. Through use of a special float containing a magnetpossessing a specific magnetic field, an array of “Hall effect” sensorscan be arranged in a linear fashion outside of the water tube to makethe necessary measurements of the water pressure while still meeting allof the design criteria for low maintenance, no calibration and zerooffset adjustments, capable of sustaining large pressures without beingdamaged, and have the ability to measure 0-24 inches of water columnwith a high degree of accuracy with little drift over time andtemperature. The only problem with this design is the required number ofdigital I/O that the concept requires.

What was finally developed was a 26 inch circuit board having 64 Halleffect devices, evenly spaced along the length of the board. Interfacingto the microprocessor is accomplished through a modified serialcommunication protocol known as 4 Wire SPI. This permits monitoring ofthe feedback device in lengths in excess of the 24 inches, with a scanrate of over 60 readings per second. Using special algorithms, thesystem can achieve a resolution of 3/16 inch, which is well within theoriginal +/−¼ inch requirement. This sensor array is aligned along thelength of the ¾ inch PVC rigid water column tube in a specially designedover-molded housing that protects the circuit from the harsh environmentand isolates it from the water source. The sensor array also has two7-segment displays directly mounted on the circuit board, which arevisible from through the over-molded housing. These displays are used todisplay real time water column level readings as well as doubling todisplay error codes in the case of a failure. The Hall effect sensorarray is designed to sense a flat disc magnet housed in a square floatsuspended and aligned in the water column tube. Using low current Halleffect devices and driving the display at reduced currents help ensurethat the energy consumption is kept low during the operation of theregulator. The magnetic float can be manufactured from high visibilitymaterial to serve as an additional visual indicator of water column.

The tube is preferably attached to a 90-degreeelbow connector that isinserted into a custom designed T-fitting and held in place by a nutthat is installed on the elbow connector via a retaining ring. The elbowconnector has detents that match geometry on the T-fitting, which allowsfor the water column tube to be rotated when the nut is loosened butlocked in place when the nut is tightened. The detents allow for theclear (i.e., see through) water column tube to lock vertical in theoperating position, at 45-degrees off of vertical, and at horizontal inthe “storage” position. The T-fitting also has an outlet port that ismatched to the outlet port on the mechanical regulator, which allows fortube assembly to be used without leaving an outlet port permanently tiedup on the mechanical regulator. The assembly is installed on themechanical regulator by inserting the male end of the T-fitting intoeither of the two available pressure ports and using a supplied nut andbolt to attach it to the track on the top of the mechanical regulator.All of these attachments can be retrofitted onto the mechanicalregulator with only two wrenches to tighten the mounting bolt. All otherpieces can typically be assembled by hand. The sight tube is preferablydesigned to seal during flushing and is easily removable for cleaningand maintenance access. FIG. 12 illustrates assembled view 1200 andexploded view 1202 of components of the water column tube assembly 750,as previously shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. More specifically, the watertube assembly 750 includes a transparent sight tube 1210 that has a capbase 1218 and a cap 1220. The sight tube 1210 mounts onto a 90-degreefitting 1214. The 90-degreefitting 1214 is connected to a T-fitting1212, which mounts onto the housing 774 of the water pressure regulatorassembly 710, as shown in FIG. 7. An O-ring 1232 fits therebetween. The90-degree fitting 1214 is connected to the T-fitting 1212 using a holdernut 1226, which includes a split ring 1224 inserted therein. A circuitboard 1216 is attached to the sight tube 1210 using connectors or clips1222. The water pressure within the interior chamber of the housing 774is measured using a floated magnet assembly 1230 that floats on thewater column within the sight tube 1210.

The two concerns with the Hall Effect sensor array concept ended upbeing cost and the complexity of the mechanical enclosure. As analternative to the Hall Effect sensor array, a series of discretecapacitive proxes arranged in a linear array, closely mimicking thearrangement of the Hall Effect sensors, was investigated. Such aconfiguration was determined to be capable of detecting the height ofthe water column with the tube without requiring a floating magnet. Inan alternative embodiment, instead of using multiple discrete proxes, itis possible to use a single prox having a large surface area that isproportionally coupled by the water column. Each of these proxarrangements are nothing more than a thin, preferably flexible, circuitboard having copper traces sensitive to capacitive coupling imprintedonto the circuit board with a configured controller chip that managesthe capacitive measurements in the traces. More specifically, a seriesof capacitively coupled conductive traces are imprinted onto anelectrical circuit board to sense the presence and absence of wateralong the length of the circuit board to determine the position of thewater column. Through individual discrete values, or combined into asingle additive analog value, the measurement of the water column isthen able to be converted to an electrical signal and supplied to thecontrol board for calculating the water column height. In anotherembodiment, it is also possible to use a simple pressure transducer thatcan is attached to an I2C or ADC interface on the processor and used tomeasure the water pressure within the interior chamber of the mainhousing.

Communication Protocol

The communications protocol was one of the last implemented features ofthe overall system design. Initially, it was thought that all deviceswould be individually controlled with simple rotary potentiometers thatwired directly to each regulator along with the power supply for thedevice. This very simple approach was direct and easily implemented intothe regulator. However, it became obvious that installations of anyorder of magnitude could require an unreasonably large number ofcontrols. Installations with 50 or more regulators are not uncommon.Using the original concept of one control knob per regulator wouldrequire 50 control knobs and 50 wiring pulls, one each from the controlenclosure to each of the 50 regulators. Furthermore, having simultaneousmanual user interfaces and house automation controller interfaces, whichcommand the same device, would require complicated circuitry or multiplesignal pulls to each device. Analog signals could still be used toaccomplish the task, but additional circuitry would be needed. Anotherconsideration was that most installations operate multiple regulators ata common pressure level, meaning a single control knob for multipledevices could be a common request. Again, this can be accomplished withanalog signals, but concerns with lead length, voltage drops, electricalnoise, and output driver capability presented design challenges. Withall of these issues in mind, the need for an alternate solution toanalog control was added to the invention design objectives. Thealternative ultimately chosen was a high level digital network withmultiple master, multiple slave capability. The multiple master allowsfor one or more manual user interfaces to operate alongside of one ormore house automation controller interfaces, while multiple slaves allowfor one or more devices to be controlled.

Several high level digital network choices were available and alreadyintegrated into the microprocessor, including RS232, Ethernet, USB, l2C,and CAN bus, along with others that may be available through use ofexternally-attached hardware. However, the choice for a multiple master,multiple slave protocol, which best suited the needs of the systemturned out to be the CAN bus architecture. There were already a numberof industrial automation protocols based on the CAN bus architecture.These networks have generated standardizations that many third partyproducts are designed around, such as wiring, power supplies, networkterminators, troubleshooting tools and network analyzers, engineeredwiring, and a multitude of other devices, which help to makeinstallation and maintenance of a CAN bus based network simpler andeasier to implement than a similarly capable analog controlarchitecture. Furthermore, the CAN bus architecture provided support fornearly 100 devices on a single network, with a maximum network length inexcess of 500 meters. Components can be distributed anywhere along thislength using simple in/out daisy chain wiring schemes, as shown in FIG.8. Voltage drops due to long network runs and/or heavy power consumptiondevices can be managed using distributed power injectors, or powersupplies, isolating the power portion of the cabling while maintaining acommon communications bus through the entire length of the network. Thischoice of network solutions also provide the end-user with analready-available market of pre-manufactured cabling, power supplies andother components to make the installation of the control system as easyand as simple as possible. Components are available from multiplemanufacturers and can be purchased worldwide from multiple distributors.

The digital network not only provides the ability for multiple pointcontrol to multiple devices, but it also allows for multiple channels ofcontrol so that several features available within the regulator can beinitiated across the same wiring infrastructure. Virtual grouping ofdevices and multiple point controls are also possible, whether that be acontrol knob per device or multiple devices per control knob.

Furthermore, devices are now able to communicate back to the controllerswith various feedback, such as actual pressure levels, along withseveral other embedded features. Plus, future add-ons can make even morefeatures available to report back to the control interface. All of thesefeatures, with the ability to expand them even further or to moxfamilies of intelligent devices, are all available across a singlecable, which implements the CAN bus protocol and power for the devices.Cabling having harsh environment connectors pre-made onto the cable andkeyed in such a way that wiring is simple and intuitive to install, evenfor someone who is not familiar with the system, was chosen. These arethe primary benefits of the digital network design implemented into theregulator.

The only true limiting factor of the CAN bus concept described above isthe cost of implementation to the end user. Pre-manufactured cabling isavailable for CAN bus networks, but at a considerable cost, especiallywhen dealing with both power and communications on the same cable. Aminimum of four conductors, most likely five when including a groundingconductor, are required, with the communications being a differentialpair requiring a twist in the conductor pair. A less expensivealternative, but not “feature implemented” by the processor, would be aform of powerline carrier that distributes power and signal across aminimum of two conductors. When properly designed, such animplementation is not concerned with a twisted pair; thus, reducing thecosts of the implementation by a significant magnitude. Ifcommunications baud rates are reduced to near audible speeds, theenvironment and distances of the cabling can be greatly improved, albeitat a compromise in communications speed.

Control Circuitry

The control board is based upon the NXP Arm Core Arm7 processor. Theboard provides access to essential onboard peripherals, including theCAN bus controller with physical layer implementation, a UART withphysical layer implementation, l2C Port with onboard pull-ups for use asa master controller for future optional devices, 4 Wire SPI with boththe standard and inverted Select line for interface to the feedbackboard, stepper motor interface including the high side drive power forcontrol of the metering valve, various status LEDs, and on-board voltageregulators to provide 1.8V, 3.3V, and 6V power from an onboard switchingsupply that can accept a broad input voltage range (from 8V to 24V) witha nominal efficiency of 93% or greater.

The circuit is preferably a two-layer board construction having only atop and bottom layer with all surface mounted IC components attached tothe top side. This design greatly reduced system complexity, simplifiedconstruction and testing, and reduced system costs. The JTAG interfacefacilitates factory programming and quality testing. With a broadvoltage input range, the board is designed to operate on commontraditional U.S. voltages such as 12VDC, as well as common Europeanvoltages such as 24VDC. The board can be operated in its entire voltagerange without any modifications or settings to the control board. Systemdesigns in this voltage range allow for the use of inherently safe,reduced energy, class 2 DC power supplies. This design offers benefitsto the end user in terms of safety from accidental shock or fire, and,in some cases, the ability to install the system without special,professional or technical licenses.

The on-board stepper motor interface is designed for efficientinstallation and operation. An enable line for control of the integrated“stand-by” mode is provided for low power idle operation. The dual“H-Bridge” driver configuration—with its enable, direction, and pulsedoutput control modes—permits full microstepping control of a singlebi-polar stepper motor. The control board is designed to attach directlyto the header pin of the linear stepper to reduce wiring requirements,aid in the simplicity of mounting of the board, and provide maximumpower through elimination of wire leads to the motor. Furthermore, thedesign of the board integrated with the motor allows the unit to beconfigured and installed as a single module, which enhances the modularbuild retrofit concept of the overall system.

All software is preferably programmed in the C programming language tooffer programming familiarity to aide in current and future designenhancements. Development is maintained by a careful system of hardwareand software versioning, with each board having “awareness” of theversion of software as well as hardware. Product upgrade paths aremaintained through use of the integrated JTAG interface, as well asclever use of the integrated communications ports that are providedspecifically for future enhancements and device add-ons. Serializedidentification numbers ensure distinct IDs on all networks, as well astraceability and version tracking of the device and the product withwhich it is installed. The control board takes commands and reportsstatus across the primary CAN bus channel. All necessary controlalgorithms are preferably implemented into the control board, notrequiring any externally attached controller for any purpose other thanto issue new commands to the control board.

Feedback Circuitry

The feedback board is designed as a pluggable accessory to the controlboard, completely encapsulated in a protective potting material designedspecifically for protection of sensitive electrical components fromharsh, damp environments. The feedback board is designed to operate from0 to 630 mm of water column for measurement of water pressure throughuse of Hall effect devices, spaced at predetermined locations(preferably, evenly spaced at specified intervals) along the length ofthe board.

The circuit is preferably a two-layer board construction having only atop and bottom layer with all surface mounted IC components attached tothe top side. This design greatly reduces system complexity, simplifiesconstruction and testing, and reduces system costs. Special attention isgiven to placement of the Hall effect sensors to minimize anyinterference that might negatively affect their sensitivity to magneticfields. The Hall effect sensors are preferably arranged along the edgeof the feedback board, isolated from the surrounding copper surface andaligned with specifically-positioned through-holes that provide anuninhibited view of the magnetic field from either side of the board.The sensor measurement algorithm is written to provide a 2× resolutionmultiplier, achieving greater than the minimum requirement of +/−¼ inch.Two integrated 7 segment displays are mounted at the tip of the feedbackboard to provided system status indication and to aid in fieldinstallation, address re-programmability, and provide an alarm/faultindication to the user.

Interface to the control board is preferably accomplished through aslightly modified version of a serial full duplex communicationsprotocol known as 4 Wire SPI. This protocol is supported natively by themicroprocessor, so interfacing to the custom built feedback board isaccomplished in hardware control of the processor. This considerablyreduces the processing power required to communicate with the feedbackboard. Communications to the Hall effect sensor array is preferablyaccomplished through use of simple and inexpensive parallel load, serialshift register chips. To adapt these chips to the 4 wire SPI protocol,the SPI control lines from the processor are modified on-board thefeedback board to generate the proper timing sequence. The originalprototype accomplished this using a simple hex inverter chip, butsubsequent designs have been based on a simple BJT—operating as a highspeed switch. This significantly reduces the cost and board spacerequirement for the inversion on the control board. Using theprocessor's built-in 4 Wire SPI interface, the regulator is able toreceive as many as 128 different discrete signals back from the feedbackcircuit. The custom written algorithms achieve a maximum resolution of 5mm, which is well within the +/−¼ inch requirement. The design has beentested running at speeds of up to 63 measurements per second. Speedseven greater may be possible, but are not necessary for thisimplementation or use.

For purposes of illustration, application programs and other executableprogram components such as the operating system may be illustratedherein as discrete blocks, although it is recognized that such programsand components reside at various times in different storage componentsof the computing device, and are executed by the data processor(s) ofthe computer. An implementation of media manipulation software can bestored on or transmitted across some form of computer readable media.Any of the disclosed methods can be executed by computer readableinstructions embodied on computer readable media. Computer readablemedia can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. Byway of example and not meant to be limiting, computer readable media cancomprise “computer storage media” and “communications media.” “Computerstorage media” comprises volatile and non-volatile, removable andnon-removable media implemented in any methods or technology for storageof information such as computer readable instructions, data structures,program modules, or other data. Exemplary computer storage mediacomprises, but is not limited to RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory ormemory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or otheroptical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which canbe used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by acomputer.

The methods and systems can employ Artificial Intelligence (AI)techniques such as machine learning and iterative learning. Examples ofsuch techniques include, but are not limited to, expert systems, casebased reasoning, Bayesian networks, behavior based AI, neural networks,fuzzy systems, evolutionary computation (e.g. genetic algorithms), swarmintelligence (e.g. ant algorithms), and hybrid intelligent system (e.g.expert interference rules generated through a neural network orproduction rules from statistical learning).

In the case of program code execution on programmable computers, thecomputing device generally includes a processor, a storage mediumreadable by the processor (including volatile and non-volatile memoryand/or storage elements), at least one input device, and at least oneoutput device. One or more programs may implement or utilize theprocesses described in connection with the presently disclosed subjectmatter, e.g., through the use of an API, reusable controls, or the like.Such programs may be implemented in a high level procedural orobject-oriented programming language to communicate with a computersystem. However, the program(s) can be implemented in assembly ormachine language. In any case, the language may be a compiled orinterpreted language and it may be combined with hardwareimplementations.

Although exemplary implementations may refer to utilizing aspects of thepresently disclosed subject matter in the context of one or morestand-alone computer systems, the subject matter is not so limited, butrather may be implemented in connection with any computing environment,such as a network or distributed computing environment. Still further,aspects of the presently disclosed subject matter may be implemented inor across a plurality of processing chips or devices, and storage maysimilarly be affected across a plurality of devices. Such devices mightinclude PCs, network servers, mobile phones, softphones, and handhelddevices, for example.

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understoodthat the subject matter defined in the appended claims is notnecessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above.Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed asexample forms of implementing the claims.

We claim:
 1. A water flow regulator for use with a poultry wateringsystem used to provide potable water to a flock of poultry over theirgrowth cycle, the water flow regulator comprising: a main housing thatdefines an interior chamber; an input disposed on the main housing andconnected to a water supply line, the water supply line providingpotable water to the main housing at a first pressure, the inputincluding a metering valve disposed within the interior chamber; anoutput disposed on the main housing and connected to a dispensing line,the dispensing line having a plurality of watering valves configured tosupply the potable water to the flock of poultry at a desired flow rate,the desired flow rate optimized to provide a predetermined amount ofpotable water to the flock through the plurality of watering valves; avariable control valve mounted onto the housing and extending into theinterior chamber of the housing, the variable control valve positionedto control the flow of potable water into the interior chamber of themain housing and correspondingly through the output, the variablecontrol valve having a needle-shaped cone adapted to engage a matingport within the interior chamber of the main housing and configured tomove linearly and incrementally between a fully-closed position and afully-open position within the metering valve, the variable controlvalve having a motor that controls the linear and incremental movementof the needle-shaped cone to vary flow rate of the potable water intothe interior chamber of the main housing, the motor is in electroniccommunication with and controlled by a controller board, the controllerboard being programmed with the desired flow rate for potable waterpassing through the output to the dispensing lines; and a feedbackcomponent connected to the main housing, the feedback componentconfigured to provide a feedback signal back to the controller board,the feedback signal corresponding to the actual flow rate of potablewater in the dispensing line; wherein a comparator component of thecontroller board receives the feedback signal, determines the actualflow rate of potable water in the dispensing line based on the receivedfeedback signal, and actuates the motor to move the needle-shaped conelinearly and incrementally in the direction necessary to cause theactual flow rate of potable water in the dispensing line to move towardthe desired flow rate programmed on the controller board.
 2. The waterflow regulator of claim 1 wherein the controller board increases thedesired flow rate for potable water passing through the output to thedispensing lines over the growth cycle of the flock of poultry.
 3. Thewater flow regulator of claim 1 wherein the motor controls the linearand incremental movement of the needle-shaped cone by rotating athreaded rod connected thereto.
 4. The water flow regulator of claim 3wherein the threaded rod maintains its position and the position of theneedle-shaped cone within the metering valve until receiving a signalfrom the controller board to move.
 5. The water flow regulator of claim1 wherein the comparator component actuates the motor to move theneedle-shaped cone linearly and incrementally at predetermined timeintervals.
 6. The water flow regulator of claim 1 wherein, by varyingthe flow rate of the potable water into the interior chamber of the mainhousing, the variable control valve adjusts the potable water within theinterior chamber of the main housing to a second pressure and,correspondingly, adjusts the actual flow rate of potable water passingthrough the output to the dispensing lines.
 7. The water flow regulatorof claim 6 wherein the feedback component includes a removable tube thatis connected to the main housing and receives potable water from theinterior chamber.
 8. The water flow regulator of claim 7 wherein thefeedback component includes a circuit board mounted adjacent the tube,the tube maintaining a column of water having a height, wherein theheight of the water column corresponds to the second pressure andwherein the height of the water column is detected by detecting a magnetfloating on top of the water column using a plurality of Hall effectsensors mounted along a length of the circuit board.
 9. The water flowregulator of claim 7 wherein the feedback component includes a circuitboard mounted adjacent the tube, the tube maintaining a column of waterhaving a height, wherein the height of the water column corresponds tothe second pressure and wherein the height of the water column isdetected using a series of capacitive sensors mounted along a length ofthe circuit board.
 10. The water flow regulator of claim 6 wherein thefeedback component includes a removable pressure transducer mounted tothe housing that detects the second pressure and generates the feedbacksignal as a function of the second pressure.
 11. A water flow regulatorfor use with a poultry watering system used to provide potable water toa flock of poultry over their growth cycle, the water flow regulatorcomprising: a main housing that defines an interior chamber; an inputdisposed on the main housing and connected to a water supply line, thewater supply line providing potable water to the main housing at aninput pressure, the input including a metering valve disposed within theinterior chamber; an output disposed on the main housing and connectedto a dispensing line, the dispensing line having a plurality of wateringvalves configured to supply the potable water to the flock of poultry ata desired flow rate, the desired flow rate optimized to provide apredetermined amount of potable water to the flock through the pluralityof watering valves; a variable control valve mounted onto the housingand extending into the interior chamber of the housing, the variablecontrol valve positioned to control the flow of potable water into theinterior chamber of the main housing and through the output, thevariable control valve being in electronic communication with andcontrolled by a controller board; and a feedback component mounted ontothe main housing, the feedback component configured to detect an actualoutput pressure of potable water within the interior chamber and toprovide a feedback signal to the controller board; wherein thecontroller board is programmed with the desired flow rate, thecontroller board includes a comparator component that receives thefeedback signal, determines an actual flow rate of potable water in thedispensing line as a function of the received feedback signal, andactuates the variable control valve to move incrementally between afully-closed position and a fully-open position within the meteringvalve as necessary to cause the actual flow rate of potable water in thedispensing line to move toward the desired flow rate programmed on thecontroller board.
 12. The water flow regulator of claim 11 wherein thecontroller board increases the desired flow rate for potable waterpassing through the output to the dispensing lines over the growth cycleof the flock of poultry.
 13. The water flow regulator of claim 11wherein the variable control valve includes a needle-shaped cone adaptedto engage a mating port within the interior chamber of the main housingand is configured to move linearly between the fully-closed position andthe fully-open position within the metering valve, the variable controlvalve having a motor that controls the linear and incremental movementof the needle-shaped cone to vary flow rate of the potable water intothe interior chamber and the corresponding actual output pressure ofpotable water within the interior chamber.
 14. The water flow regulatorof claim 13 wherein the motor controls the linear and incrementalmovement of the needle-shaped cone by rotating a threaded rod connectedthereto.
 15. The water flow regulator of claim 14 wherein the threadedrod maintains its position and the position of the needle-shaped conewithin the metering valve until receiving a signal from the controllerboard to move.
 16. The water flow regulator of claim 13 wherein thecomparator component actuates the motor to move the needle-shaped conelinearly and incrementally at predetermined time intervals.
 17. Thewater flow regulator of claim 13 wherein the feedback component includesa removable pressure transducer mounted to the housing that detects thesecond pressure and generates the feedback signal as a function of thesecond pressure.
 18. The water flow regulator of claim 11 wherein thefeedback component includes a removable tube that is connected to themain housing and receives potable water from the interior chamber. 19.The water flow regulator of claim 18 wherein the feedback componentincludes a circuit board mounted adjacent the tube, the tube maintaininga column of water having a height, wherein the height of the watercolumn corresponds to the actual output pressure and wherein the heightof the water column is detected by detecting a magnet floating on top ofthe water column using a plurality of Hall effect sensors mounted alonga length of the circuit board.
 20. The water flow regulator of claim 18wherein the feedback component includes a circuit board mounted adjacentthe tube, the tube maintaining a column of water having a height,wherein the height of the water column corresponds to the actual outputpressure and wherein the height of the water column is detected using aseries of capacitive sensors mounted along a length of the circuitboard.